Background:
BackgroundI am a Mechanical Engineer with a master’s degree in Gas Turbines from Cranfield University. I started my career in 2013 as a Jr. Engineer working in a fuel nozzle repair cell out of Dubai. I quickly developed a thorough understanding of fuel nozzles and flow testing. In 2015, I developed a liquid flow test bench.
What do you do here at MD&A? What aspect do you enjoy most about your role at MD&A?
I am the Engineering & Production Manager for MD&A’s Fuel Nozzle Repair Shop at the MD&A Houston Service Center. I enjoy the challenges that come with servicing fuel nozzles. We have a great team of engineers and technicians who are very smart and creative. It is their support and company that I enjoy the most.
What is the most interesting job/challenge you have come across in the shop?
One of the biggest challenges & opportunities is meeting aggressive scheduling of the current market, especially when unexpected obstacles like storms and power outages throw a wrench in the schedule. But our team is relentless and hard-working, ensuring we get the job done.
What type of repairs mostly happen for gas turbine nozzles to extend their service life?
Repairability is at the core of what we do. We use weld repairs and precision machining to restore customer parts to their original specifications. When a component is too worn or cracked for standard weld build-up, we salvage the most vital parts of the fuel nozzle and rebuild them with new components. We have extensive experience rebuilding all types of DLN 2.0 and DLN 2.6 fuel nozzles, and we also manufacture new parts that allow customers to extend the service life of their existing fuel nozzle end covers.
Why did you choose to work for MD&A and why have you continued to choose to work at MD&A? How would you describe our company culture?
I’ve always had a passion for working with fuel nozzles, but when I moved to Canada, I lost my niche. When the opportunity at MD&A came along, I jumped on it, and had no intentions of letting go. I rented a couple of U-Haul trailers and headed south. As an added benefit, it does feel great not to be freezing 9 months of the year!
MD&A’s culture is a great mix, family culture yet deadline-driven, fast-paced yet balanced, stressful at times, but that’s just the nature of what we do.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
It would be amazing if I had X-ray vision, then I could x-ray the fuel nozzles for defects and braze leaks.
